From June 30 to July 16. The french Michel Jonaz opens the Festival. Courtney Pine comes to Montreux for the very first time and Charles Lloyd after 21 years. Miles Davis starts his gig with the track “In a Silent Way” and his fine musicians are concentrated from the beginning to the end leaving little chance to improvisation. Also Eddie Harris and Les McCann are back and they are also the rhythm section of Wynton Marsalis on stage. Chick Corea trio with Tommy Brechtlein and John Pattitucci, Jean-Luc Ponty’s quintet, Johnny Halliday, Gerry Mulligan, Chuck Mangione, Lee Ritenour, and Jazz Rock with the Yellowjackets guided by Russel Ferrante on keyboards, David Sanborn comes back to Montreux with his band and Hiram Bullock (guitar) among others. Exceptional evening July 14 with the come back of Milton Nascimento surrounded by 7 brazilian musicians, later Carlos Santana playing with ....Wayne Shorter and their musicians Patrice Rushen, Chester Thompson, Alphonso Johnson, Ndugu Chancler, Armando Peraza, and Chepito Areas and, as if the menu was not important enough, Joe Satriani (probably born with a guitar in his hands…) plays with his smashing trio band. Monty Alexander and Randy Weston play July 15 and George Duke & Friends (Ndugu Chancler, Stanley Clarke et Rique Pantoja) are part of the same night. The Montreux Jazz evenings also include, among others, George Benson, Tracy Chapman, Kassav, Abdullah Ibrahim, the cool man Papa John Creach (violin), Womack & Womack, James Taylor, Herbie Hancock who is secured with Michael Brecker, Al Foster and Buster Williams. Steve Gadd comes back after 12 years with his new band (Eddie Gomez, Cornell Dupree, Richard Tee and Ronnie Cuber).
Montreux welcomes very widely THE music in general.